Department of Archaeology

General information

Archaeology has been taught and studied at Durham University since 1931, which makes our staff and students part of a long tradition of learning. We count ourselves lucky to be based here, surrounded by incredible examples of medieval architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and so close to some of the country’s premier archaeological sites, such as Hadrian’s Wall and the Saxon monastery at Jarrow. Throughout the years, the department has grown to become what it is today: one of the largest departments in the world and the national leader for archaeological research, beating Oxford, Cambridge and University College London in this respect.

When compared to other departments in Britain: we provide the most comprehensive coverage of British archaeology, with an expert in every period we are in the top two for the European Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Roman, Early Medieval and Medieval archaeological research. We are the leading centre for Bioarchaeological research with an nparalleled range of specialists. We are also one of the best departments for Near Eastern-Iran-Indian archaeology and we are highly influential in the fields of conservation, cultural heritage, and museum management.

We have the some of the best archaeological facilities available. Having recently undergone a £3.2 million refurbishment, we offer access to internationally renowned scientific research laboratories in DNA, conservation, isotopes, environmental archaeology, luminescence dating, palaeopathology and soil and bone chemistry.